Artificial denture



Sept. 29, 1931. w. E. KEMPF 1,825,593

Filed Oct. 2. 1929 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 29, 1931 PATENTOFFICE WALTER E. KEMPF, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT ARTIFICIAL DENTUREApplication filed October 2, 1929. Serial No. 398,799.

This invention relates to artificial dentures, and has particularreference to an artificial tooth and mounting which is designedespecially for molar and biscuspid posterior pontic bridge work.

The invention primarily aims to provide improved artificial molar orbicuspid teeth with mountings therefor designed for posterior ponticbridge work which will be of a few standard sizes whereby the dentist isrequired only to select the proper tooth or teeth, grind them to fit,solder or otherwise attach a backing or backings to the bridge and thensolder or attach the bridge to the abutment teeth, crowns, inlays orother at tachments.

The invention further comprehends an artificial tooth and mounting whichare rigidly and eifectua-lly interconnected in such a 2G manner as towithstand the hardest bite and which interconnection admits of theinterchanging and replacement of a broken tooth.

The invention furthermore embodies an artificial tooth and backingmember which are effectually locked and secured together against thepossibility of separation and in which the backing and connecting meansare concealed from view when the tooth is in position.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of anartificial tooth and backing which are assembled by relative movement ofthe same in a direction at substantially a right angle to the stress ofthe bite in order to minimize the possibility of disassociation of thebacking member and tooth in ordinary usage.

Other objects of the invention reside in the simplicity and strength ofconstruction of the tooth and its backing member or, mounting, theeconomy with which the same may be produced, assembled and fitted andthe general efficiency derived therefrom.

With the above recited and other objects in .view, reference is had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which there isexhibited one example or embodiment of the invention while the 50 claimsdefine the actual scope of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a collective perspective view illustrating the tooth and itsbacking member separated.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same in assembled relation.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line8--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective View illustrating the manner in which aplurality of the backing members are associated or connected together toaiford a multiple tooth bridge.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 5 designates anartificial tooth either of the molar or bicuspid type, with which thepresent invention is particularly concerned. As illustrated, the tooth 5is formed with a continuous groove 6 which extends con'ipletely acrossthe lingual side 7, partially into the mesial and distal sides 8 and 9and terminating short of the buccal side 10. The lower portions of thegroove which lie in the mesial and distal sides merge into said sides anappreciable distance below the lower edge portion or shoulder 11 of thegroove in the lingual side. The groove 6 forms an upper shoulder 12 inthe lingual side and upper shoulders 13 in the mesial and distal sides,as well as terminal shoulders 14 in said mesial and distal sides. Thebacking member conforms generally to the shape of the groove previouslydescribed and is of substantially LL shaped formation to form a bightportion 15 which is adapted to snugly fit within that portion of thegroove 6 which is formed in the lingual side 7 of the tooth 5. The bightportion 15 connects the side wings 16 which are designed tosnugly fitwithin the portions of the groove 6 which lie within the mesial anddistal sides 8 and 9. In order to reinforce and support the outer,'frontor huccal side of the tooth, as well as to provide means for requiringthe association of the tooth and the backing member by relative movementof the same in a direction at substantially a right angle to the stressof the bite, a bar 17 is employed which extends horizontally through thetooth from the mesial to the distal sides with its opposite endsprojecting into the groove terminals at a point adjacent the juncture ofthe upper edges of the shoulders 13 with the terminal edges or shoulders14. It will be observed that the bar is of greater width and thicknessand that the major width is disposed at approximately a right angle tothe stress of the bight within a correspondingly formed opening 18 inthe tooth. The wings 16 of the backing member are provided withcorresponding angulated grooves or notches 19 which coact with theopposite projecting ends of the bar 17 to necessitate relative movementof the tooth and its backing member in a direction substantially at aright angle to the stress of the bite when assembling said backingmember and, tooth. In practice, the portions of the mesial and distalsides of the tooth which lie above the upper shoulders or edges 13 ofthe groove extend slightly beyond the wings 16 of the backing member toallow for grinding if necessary in fitting the tooth in place betweenthe neighboring teeth, this overhang being particularly illustrated inFigured of the drawings.

here the bridge supports a plurality of teeth, the backing members willbe soldered together at their wing portions 16, as illustrated in Figure5, and, in this instance, a single bar will be employed which will extend through all of the teeth forming the bridge. Obviously, the wingswill carry the necessary means of attachment for either fixedly orremovably associating the bridge with the abutment teeth.

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that an artificial tooth andbacking member has been devised which embodies a simple, effective anddurable mode of connection therebctw on, by virtue of which a dentist ofaverage skill may properly effect the building and fitting of bridgesand by virtue of which interchanging or replacement of broken teeth maybe accomplished at a minimum expense of time and labor.

hat is claimed is:

1. In an artificial denture, an artificial tooth having a groovegirdling the lingual, distal and mesial sides, a backing member snuglyfitted into the groove by relative movement of the tooth and backing atsubstantially a right angle to the stress of the bite and a reinforcingbar extending through the teeth from the mesial to the distal sides,projecting from said sides and having inter-engagement with the backingmember.

2. In combination, an artificial tooth having a horizontal grooveextending completely across its lingual side, partially into the mesialand distal sides and terminating short of the buccal side, said toothhaving a horizontal slot extending therethrough from its mesial to itsdistal sides, terminating with the terminals of the groove and disposedat an angle to the stress of the bite and a bar extending through theslot with its opposite ends projecting thercfrom; a backing memberconforming generally to the shape of the groove having notches disposedat an angle to the stress of the bite for receiving the opposite ends ofthe bar and adapted to be associated with the tooth and bar by relativemovement of the tooth and said backing member at an angle to the stressof the bite.

3. In combination an artificial tooth having a horizontal. grooveextending completely across its lingual side, partially into the mesialand distal sides and terminating short of the buccal side, said toothhaving a horizontal slot extending therethrough from its mesial to itsdistal sides, terminating with the terminals of the groove and disposedat an angle to the stress of the bite and a bar extending through theslot with its opposite ends projecting therefrom; a backing memberconforming generally to he shape of the groove having notches disposedat an angle to the stress of the bite for receiving the opposite ends ofthe bar and adapted to be associated with the tooth and bar by relativemovement of the tooth and said backing member at substantially a rightangle to the stress of the bite.

4. In an artificial denture, an artificial tooth having a continuousgroove extending completely across its lingual side, partially into itsmesial and distal sides and terminating short of its buccal side, thelower portions of the groove which lie in the mesial and distal sidesmerging into said sides of the tooth below the lower edge of that portion of the groove in the lingual side, a backing member conforminggenerally to the shape of the groove applicable to and removable fromthe tooth by relative movement of the tooth and backing member in adirection at substantially a right angle to the stress of the bite andinterengaging reinforcing means on the backing member and toothconsisting of a bar extending through the tooth from its mesial to itsdistal side having its opposite ends projecting into the groovedterminals adjacent the upper edges thereof and notched portions 1 of thebacking member receiving said ends of the bar.

lVALTER E. KEMPF.

